Public telephones suffer from exposure to the elements and from an environment which is often laden with dust, chemicals and corrosive agents. In addition, public telephones are frequently the objects of vandalism, or through negligence, have food and/or beverages spilled upon them. The telephone keypad assembly is the recipient of much of the abuse inasmuch as it is among the most readily accesible parts of the telephone.
Moisture, dust or other corrosive elements may seep into the keypad assembly and cause the mechanism of the unit to foul up or to short the delicate electrical connections. Such interference may cause the keypad assembly to malfunction, making cleaning or replacement necessary. In some telephones, the telephone unit has to be disassembled in order to obtain access for cleaning or replacement.
Further, the touch of keypad pushbuttons in a public telephone may be affected by the damage caused by the elements or by vandalism. A proper touch is important because it serves to assure users that the telephone is in proper working order. Generally, the public is most comfortable with a resilient tactile feel to the keypad upon selective depression of the pushbuttons.
Accordingly, there is a need for a simple, inexpensive and rugged device which is easy to manufacture, install or replace, which would protect the keypad assembly from the hazards of its environment, and which would retain a resilient keypad pushbutton touch.